To Expand Your Business, Go Home

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July 30, 2008
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NEWS  THIS WEEK'S TOP STORY To Expand Your Business, Go Home

Inside: This Week in SmallBiz Running your own business isn't easy. Doing it from home presents its own set of challenges. We address frequent misunderstandings and offer best practices in our latest Special Report. See how one business went from commercial offices to home offices as it expanded. Then hear how the bad economy and competition from big e-tailers are challenging those who make a living via online marketplaces. Finally, flip through our slide show showcasing readers' standout home workspaces from across the country and cast your vote for your favorite. Beyond the Special Report, be sure to tune in to this week's podcast and check out the latest posts on our new staff blog. Enjoy. --Nick Leiber SEND FEEDBACK  |  E-MAIL A FRIEND  |  GET RSS  |  NEWSLETTERS

MORE SMALLBIZ NEWS SPECIAL REPORT: HOME BASED BUSINESS Tough Times for eBay Entrepreneurs A bad economy and competition from big e-tailers are challenging those who make a living via online marketplaces such as eBay, Craigslist, and Etsy SPECIAL REPORT: HOME BASED BUSINESS Slide Show: Readers Show Off Their Home Offices In an age of ever-changing technology and online opportunity, home is where the office is SPECIAL REPORT: HOME BASED BUSINESS Is That Business Legitimate or a Scam? The FTC is drafting new rules to counter unfair practices. In the meantime, aspiring business owners should apply lots of common sense SPECIAL REPORT: HOME BASED BUSINESS The 10 Most Common Home-Business Scams Some fraudulent home-based-business opportunities appear again and again SPECIAL REPORT: HOME BASED BUSINESS Should You Tell Clients You Work from Home? It's a tricky issue. Carefully weighing the ethical and practical considerations can make or break your home-based business SPECIAL REPORT: HOME BASED BUSINESS Home-Based Business Dos and Don'ts What steps can home-based startups take to project an image of competence and credibility? Here are 10 suggestions SMALL BUSINESS FINANCING Why You Should Avoid Finders It may be tempting to retain a broker for your next round of venture capital financing, but doing so might damage your chances   SMALLBIZ SLIDE SHOWS SMALL BIZ Slide Show: Fresh Entrepreneurs Welcome to our ongoing series profiling startups from across the country. We'll be asking for your suggestions and adding profiles on a regular basis   SMALLBIZ PODCASTS Surviving in a Bad Economy The economic downturn is hitting small businesses hard, but is there a silver lining? David Tropper is CEO of CODA Resources, a third-generation, family-owned Brooklyn (N.Y.) manufacturer, and he says there are ways small outfits can cope   SMALLBIZ SPECIAL REPORTS Home- Based Business Branding Franchising Raising Capital The ABCs of Business Plans Best U.S. Entrepreneurs 25 and Under   SMALL BUSINESS INFORMATION CENTER Getting Started Business Plans Buying/Selling a Business Researching Your Target Market Incorporate a Business -- In 10 Minutes Franchising Request Franchise Information Find Franchises for Sale by Industry Directory of Franchises Franchises That Let You Work at Home Raising Capital Finance & Accounting How to Raise Money for Your Business Loans Funding Your Startup with Credit Cards Legal Legal Advice Choosing a Business Structure Protecting Your Intellectual Property Contracts Operations Build a Better Company -- In One Month How to Buy Smart for Your Business Consulting Keep Your Books in Order Management & HR Hiring Advice A Guide to 401(k) Plans Employment Guide Consulting Sales, Marketing, & Customer Service How to Jump-Start Your Sales Sales & Marketing 101 Research Crafting an Effective Marketing Plan Doing Business Online How to Start an Online Business 21 Ways to Boost Your Online Presence Internet & E-Commerce Technology Home-Based Businesses Legally Establishing a Home-Based Business Financing Tips 10 Ways to Grow Home-Based Business Basics Technology Internet & E-Commerce Research Sales & Marketing Hardware, Software & More Material provided by: AllBusiness.com | Buyer Zone | Entrepreneur.com | Franchise Solutions | Salary.com | Smart Online SMALLBIZ  BUSINESS DIRECTORY Need Help? Find experts in your area in: Accounting Advertising and Marketing E-Mail Marketing Legal Services Public Relations Search Engine Marketing Web Design Web Marketing Web Hosting  BW MALL   SPONSORED LINKS Helping Others Excel–Become a High Impact Coach  Executive and organizational coaches help others reach new heights–Contact Columbia University Today Recruiting in the Finance Industry?  Software for Recruiting, Applicant Tracking, Onboarding, Performance Management, Job Postings & more Motivational Posters & Prints That Inspire!  Our Motivational Prints provide meaningful inspiration and goals for all workplace environments. Linking Professions  Working between professions equals real innovation. AccuQuote - Free Term Life Insurance Quotes!  Save up to 70% by Comparing Top Rated Life Insurance Companies. Protect Your Family Today! Buy a link now! This newsletter is a FREE service provided by BusinessWeek.com. To sign up for other newsletters, cancel delivery, change delivery options or change your e-mail address, please go to our Newsletter Preferences page. If you need other assistance, please contact Customer Service or contact: Wanda Cooper BusinessWeek Customer Rights Communications Data Services 1995 G Avenue Red Oak, IA 51566 Phone: 1-800-635-1200 View our corporate privacy policy here. To learn more about how BusinessWeek.com applies this policy, you can contact our Marketing Department. Copyright 2008, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Privacy Notice

Today's Tip Leadership There are a few things to remember when delivering a difficult message. First, whenever people receive negative information, there is a tendency to go into selective listening mode. This means you need to choose your words carefully so your message will be understood... --Bob Kustka, President, The Fusion Factor READ MORE > ADVERTISEMENT Get Options Trading Ideas for Major Currencies Get currency options trading ideas with Trading Central's free FX Options Trade Alert. See opportunities as they arise, based on technical analysis.   FIND SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES Getting Started Want to get your business off the ground? Here are the steps you need to take before you take the plunge   Find More Small Business Resources to help you build and strengthen your business. Pick a category below: • More Small Business Resources • Design Resources • Financing • Human Resources & Benefits • Legal & Insurance • Marketing & Sales • Office Operations • Tech & Telecom SMART ANSWERS KAREN E. KLEIN >> Best Practices from the Best Employers What makes these the top small companies to work for? Their No. 1 priority is good communication as part of management strategy SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO KAREN >   VIEWPOINT CARMINE GALLO >> Del Taco: Building Customer Loyalty with Respect Del Taco President Shirlene Lopez started by mopping floors. Since making it to the top of the fast food chain, she has made an art of customer service MORE CARMINE GALLO COLUMNS >>   Advertisement   What's Your Problem? We all have workplace problems. Share with us, and your fellow readers, the hurdles you've faced—and how you've tried to clear them     IN YOUR FACE: BERNANKE'S DOUR MESSAGE Reader Yrag Writes: "Hey, why worry? This is only a 'mental recession' and a 'mental bear-market.'" Tell Us: Is the Fed Doing Enough to Stimulate the U.S. Economy? >   BLOG Deal Flow >> So Martha Stewart will pay a lousy $195K to settle civil insider trading charges. That will hardly put a dent in the early Christmas present that Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. (Nasdaq: MSO) will give her next month when it pays a 50 cents/share special dividend, over half of which will go straight to the company's largest shareholder, Stewart. -- Justin Hibbard Visit Our Other Blogs Auto Beat Bangalore Tigers Blogspotting Brand New Day Byte of the Apple Economics Unbound European Insight Fine On Media Games, Inc. GreenBiz Hot Property Investing Insights Management IQ New Technology in Asia NEXT: Innovation Tools & Trends NussbaumOnDesign Tech Beat Working Parents POST YOUR OWN COMMENTS BusinessWeek has teamed with J.D. Power and Associates to let you compare customer satisfaction and product quality ratings. Automobiles Cable/Satellite Providers Consumer Electronics Copiers Digital Cameras TVs Insurance Auto Insurance Collision Repair (Auto Insurance) Home Insurance Financial Services Full-Service Investing Mortage Service Online Trading Telephone/Wireless All-Distance Phone Providers Wireless Service Internet Service Providers   Advertisement   VIDEO VIEWS >> Springboard's Venture Capital Bootcamp Women media business owners take part in a one-day bootcamp to learn how to pitch their companies to venture capitalists, part of their preparation for a VC forum co-hosted by Springboard     SUBSCRIBE TO BUSINESSWEEK SmallBiz Print Table of Contents Get SmallBiz Free With Your Subscription To BusinessWeek Subscribe Now Customer Service SMALLBIZ FREE ONLINE COURSES Instructor-led classes on the latest topics for registered BusinessWeek users. Sign up now • The Wireless Mobile Office • Designing and Equipping Your Home Office • Setting Up a Wireless Home Network • Start-Up Basics for the First-Time Entrepreneur • Writing a High-Impact Business Plan • Raising Capital for Your Small Business